Michael Carroll Green's Blog (239)

First of the season Organically-grown Sweet Corn is a sure sign that Summer is here, and it’s available at the Palm Springs and Palm Desert Certified Farmers’ Markets (The La Quinta Market is closed for the season). Sweet Corn is a Summer picnic staple, and a favorite for its sugary sweet flavor. But get yours fast. Since the process of maturation in Sweet Corn involves converting sugar into starch, Sweet Corn stores poorly and… Continue

Locally-grown (and first of the season) Peaches are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at all three Certified Farmers’ Market locations. Peaches are an American tradition, growing throughout the continental United States (except in tropical areas). They are perhaps best known for their association with the State of Georgia (Georgia Peaches), but today California and South Carolina join Georgia as the three largest peach producing states in the United States. Peaches are members… Continue

Fresh locally-grown Garlic in all its forms and flavors, is this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at all three Certified Farmers’ Market locations. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for culinary, religious, superstitious and medicinal purposes, and continues to be one of our favorite culinary flavors. And while most of us are familiar with traditional garlic bulbs, we may not be as familiar with the multiple varieties of fresh garlic available at the… Continue

Delicious Bing Cherries are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week, and are available from Ramirez Farms all three market locations. Bing cherries are a sweet cherry variety – best eaten fresh. They are large, dark and firm.

Bing Cherries were developed in the 1870s by Oregon horticulturist Seth Lewelling and his Manchurian Chinese foreman Ah Bing (for whom they are named), in the area that is now Milwaukie, Oregon. They are now grown commercially… Continue

Bela Juice, makers of Bella Organic Grape Juice has joined the Certified Farmers’ Market and is bringing their delicious grape juice to all three market locations.

Bella Organic Grape Juice is made of premium wine grape and other varietals from the San Joaquin Valley. The Syrah and Thompson seedless grapes used in the grape juice are grown on owners John, Joe and Jerry Coelho’s… Continue

L’Artisan Valley Baking Company provides fresh hand-made breads to Certified Farmers’ Market customers in all three of our locations. We are proud to be able to offer our customers their hand-made artisan breads lovingly created from the simplest ingredients; flour, sea salt and filtered water – and all from a local baking company.

L’Artisan Valley Baking Company was founded in 2003 by Fred and Severine… Continue

Locally-raised fresh Summer Squash is available from several farmers at the market in a variety of shapes and sizes. This versatile fruit (that’s right – although we all think of Squash as a vegetable, it’s technically a fruit!) is one of America’s favorite side dishes, and although we mostly consume the fruit (harvested while the rinds are still tender), every part of the Squash plant is edible… Continue

Certified Farmers Market Fresh Pick of the week: Fresh Cut Flowers and Locally Grown OrchidsApril 6, 2009, Palm Springs, CA - Although they are always available at the Certified Farmers’ Market, we thought the week leading up to Easter was a particularly good time to feature our Fresh Cut Flowers and Locally Grown Orchids. Choose from a variety of fresh cut flower options that look great and smell even better. Cut flowers make the… Continue

March 30, 2009, Palm Springs, CA - Although he was born and raised in Haarlem, Holland, Jules Wesselink has been operating his own dairies in Southern California since the 1950s. As the metropolitan Los Angeles area has grown, Jules's dairies have moved from Artesia to Chino, and now to Winchester, CA. The dairy now has 500 Holstein cows that are lovingly… Continue

March 23, 2009, Palm Springs, CA - Brussels Sprouts are this week’s Fresh Pick at the Certified Farmers’ Market. They are a cold season crop, and although they prefer the cool humid climate of Northern California’s Fog Belt, they also grow well in Southern California during the Winter months. Ours are locally grown, and are both chemical and pesticide free. They are available at… Continue

March 16, 2009, Palm Springs, CA - Almonds and Pistachios are this week’s Fresh Picks at the Certified Farmers’ Market. Available at all three Certified Farmers’ Market locations, both are available in convenient packages of various sizes. Choose from plain, flavored, organic, raw and/or roasted. All are locally grown and farm-packaged.

March 2, 2009, Palm Springs, CA - Herbs are this week’s Fresh Pick from the Certified Farmers’ Market. We use them for a variety of purposes ranging from culinary to medicinal to spiritual. Some we treasure for their flavor. Others we treasure for their fragrance. Some grow like weeds, and others are quite particular about their growing habits. And while each of us has our favorites, the one… Continue

March 2, 2009, Palm Springs, CA - This week’s Fresh Pick is Cauliflower - one of several vegetables in the cruciferous family (also known as Brassicaceae). Other members of the Cruciferous vegetable family include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, mustard greens and collard greens (which are also available at the Market).

Locally-grown Asparagus is this week’s Fresh Pick at the Certified Farmers’ Market, and this year’s crop is both delicious and abundant! Asparagus has been used since early times, both for its delicate flavor, and for its diuretic properties. It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans - all of whom ate it fresh in Spring and Summer, and dried in… Continue

The Certified Farmers' Market opened its third location in Palm Desert on Wednesday, February 11th, 2009. Almost 1,000 attendees attended the Grand Opening of the mid-week market - a sure sign that consumers crave farm fresh produce.

"People started showing up as early as 7:45am," said David Todd, Executive Director of the Palm Springs Cultural Center. "And we weren't even set to open until 9am. Fortunately, the farmers were all there early… Continue

The Palm Springs Cultural Center today announced that it has reached an agreement with the City of Palm Desert to open a third location for its popular Certified Farmers' Market. "We are thrilled to be adding a mid-week Certified Farmers' Market in Palm Desert," said Paul Palodichuk, Manager of the Palm Springs Cultural Center's Certified Farmers' Markets. "We will be located at the Palm Desert Visitor Center every… Continue

Locally grown Ripe Haas and Fuerte avocados are available at both Certified Farmers’ Market locations, and four more varieties, Reed, Gwen, Bacon and Pinkerton avocados, will begin to arrive at the Markets in the next few weeks. In Palm Springs, they can be found at Old Grove Orange Farms, Ramirez/Gonzalez Farms and Jaime Farms. In La Quinta, they are available at the Original… Continue

Eating greens on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring the promise of wealth and prosperity in the coming year. So if you’ve never had it, now’s a great time to discover Swiss Chard. Similar to spinach and beet greens, Swiss Chard “greens” are delicious when sautéed, slightly blanched, or added into soups or stews. The leaves of Swiss Chard are leafy and green, but the veins and thick,… Continue